Forgotten Love
by dafooni
Summary: Why is Haku acting like this? He can't have... forgotten me?"
1. Prologue

"_You wanted me Ma'am?" Haku said. The boy, who appeared to be about 11 years of age, shook his ebony chin-length hair and stared at his mistress with the intensity of his emerald eyes. The seat behind the table turned around to reveal a short, aged woman who appeared to have a head much too big for her body- Yubaaba._

"_Don't think I'm stupid, Haku. I know you had been seeing that stinking human girl behind my back. You do know the consequences of disobeying your master, don't you Haku?" Haku said nothing, but nodded curtly. "I can't believe your ungratefulness towards me! You were a lost river spirit looking for a new home after your river had been destroyed! I found you covered in blood, you were a disgrace but yet I took you into my own home and gave you a job! What more could you ask for?" Yubaaba slammed her fist against her table harshly. _

_There was an awkward silence, but Haku finally spoke up, "Freedom." Yubaaba stared wide-eyed at him, unable for words. "You only took me to become your apprentice because you knew I was a powerful river spirit. You sealed my powers by taking away my name. I know you still await the day where I will give my allegiance to you... Only then, you will unleash my powers and use them against me. Well, it's against you now Yubaaba. I QUIT."_

"_WHAT?!" Yubaaba let out a loud laugh, "QUIT? You think you're so great that you can live without me? I'll wager that you won't even survive two days wandering alone in the midst of the Spirit Realm. I hope you remember that you don't have your powers, and I certainly do not plan on giving them back to you."_

"_You don't have to give them back to me. I've unlocked it myself. My real name is Kohaku." And with that, he turned around and headed towards the door. He was just several steps towards freedom... _

_**BAM!**_

_The door closed in front of him._

"_Not so fast, Haku," came Yubaaba's chilling voice from behind him, "You may have your powers now, but you have forgotten that I too, have mine." Haku turned around to face a very angry Yubaaba indeed, and her lips curled into an evil smile. "You see Haku, I'm not prepared to let you go just yet. I still have some unfinished business and I need you to help me finish it." Haku stared anxiously as his mistress' eyes began to fill with angry fire. Finally, he realized what she was about to do. He began to run towards the door, but he heard his mistress mutter the words of a curse. A flash of green light was released from Yubaaba's hands, and helpless to defend from it, Haku was engulfed..._


	2. Introduction

Chihiro woke with a start. She sat up in her bed, staring blankly at the door opposite her. For a few seconds she remained this way, and after gaining her composure, she began to wonder about what had woken her up. _'Yubaaba... Green light... **Haku...**' _She sighed. "It was just a dream..." she muttered wistfully to herself as she settled her head back against her pillow. In fact, this wasn't the first time that she had had this dream. It was like a reoccurring nightmare that kept coming back to haunt her. Chihiro turned her head slightly to the side to look at her clock- 6:30am. Even though it was early on a Saturday morning, she decided to get up. There was no point lying in bed all morning contemplating a dream that made no sense whatsoever. Besides, there were plenty of house chores to be done. Grumbling slightly, Chihiro forced herself out of her bed, kicking off her blanket as she went. She wobbled over to her mirror and began to brush her long, brown hair, which had suffered the effects of sleep. After she had smoothed it out with a hairbrush, her face was far more noticeable. Now 15, Chihiro had definitely grown into a beautiful young lady. Although she still possessed the flat nose she had inherited from her parents, her hazel eyes shone and her lips could smile a smile that would brighten up anyone's day. Her body was now full of voluptuous curves. Although she had been fairly skinny at the age of ten, a few years of puberty had definitely done her good. She leaned over her dresser to pick up a sparkly, pink elastic band. For a few moments she held it in her hand, just reflecting on exactly what happened five years ago...

"_It is made by thread, woven together by all your friends, it will protect you..."_

Did it all really happen? Did she really mistakenly venture into the Spirit World at the tender age of ten? Although it was a terrifying ordeal for her, she longed to travel back in time to assure herself that it was all real and not dreamt. She had to make sure that Yubaaba was real, not to mention all her new friends made- Rin, Kamaji, Boh, No Face, Zeniiba... And then... there was Haku. Did he really exist? Or was he just a figment of Chihiro's imagination like the rest? Chihiro laughed to herself. If she had really just made up all these characters, then she would certainly make herself rich by selling the story as a blockbuster novel. So long she doubted that the Spirit Realm was real- that she had just made up an adventure for herself to escape the grim fact that she was leaving all her friends behind to move to a new house. But this adventure had changed the person she was- could a dream really do that? She went into the Spiritual World, a spoilt, nagging child. Through all the horrible situations that she had been in brought out the bravery and courage inside of her, and changed the girl she was. She came out of that cursed tunnel, confident that she could accomplish anything. Yet, there was _Haku_... Chihiro cursed him under her breath. _'Damn it, Haku! Why have you abandoned me?' _Haku- close to the first experience that Chihiro ever had with the opposite sex. But was it really love? Or just a silly childhood crush that did not deserve to be acknowledged? She wasn't sure- but it had pulled her along for five years and counting.

"_But will we see each other again?"_

"_I'm sure we will."_

"_Promise?"_

"_Promise."_

'Promise my ass, Haku!' Chihiro muttered under her breath. But in her hand shone the proof that Haku did really exist, as with all her other friends. Surely, she couldn't have concocted a hair elastic out of thin air, could she? Sighing, she tied her hair back into a long, slender ponytail. She hastily put on some clothes and set downstairs to begin washing the dishes.

Not long after she started, the door banged open, and in came Chihiro's father. With him came a stench- Whisky. Chihiro knew it straight away- he had been drinking the whole night long.

"Hi Dad," Chihiro greeted curtly.

"Shut up girl," he snapped, "Get on with your house chores. The bins also need to be taken out." With that, he scrambled upstairs to sleep. Chihiro knew better than to argue with him. If she did not follow his wishes, she would probably be beaten half to death, or worse- sexually abused. She spent years trying to find ways of covering the bruises and scars on her skin, but it was harder to cover the emotional scars. Now at high-school, she barely had any friends. Her classmates regarded her as 'different' and never included her in any social events. Not that Chihiro did mind. She would never find the time to go to these social gatherings anyway- during her free time, she had to work to support her family- her and her father. They were both extremely devastated after Chihiro's mother had passed away from cancer. Chihiro knew that this was what had sparked her father's drinking habits. At times, she would pray to the gods to bring her mother back, so everything could go back to normal. But she knew it wasn't possible, and life just had to go on this way.

"You know, on second thoughts," came Chihiro's father's voice from the stairway, "You could come and keep me company in my room. I mean, we could talk a bit more about your mother. Have some father-daughter time." Chihiro turned around to see her father wearing a rather mischievous grin on his face. _'Damn it!' _Chihiro thought furiously.

"Dad, I'm sort of busy right now. Would you mind if I come later?" she asked cautiously.

"Darn it, I want NOW!" her father roared. Chihiro's heart began to pound. She didn't want her father to abuse her this way. She put down the drying cloth and raced for the door. Though her father was clearly overweight, he only had to pounce to get Chihiro to stop.

"Ok then, my girl... If you don't want my bed, we can do it right here," he said as he began fondle her intimately.

"No..." Chihiro gasped. She was suffocating under her father's weight. With one valiant effort, she pushed him off of her body, leaving him lying on the floor, laughing with no cause.

"I'm sorry Dad," she whispered. She opened the door and let herself out. Then she ran and ran and ran. She knew exactly where she was going.


	3. Return to the Spirit World

Chihiro paused, resting her hands on her knees and trying to catch her breath. _'This is it,' _she thought, _'I've found it, finally.' _Right there in front of her very eyes was the red wall, with the mysterious smiling statue standing in front of the entrance. As she gasped for breath hysterically, she wondered why the entrance had shown itself to her that time. She recalled the number of times that she had run up that long, rocky path that wound around a hill, only to find a dead end caused by a cloud of trees. She looked up at the wall and cocked her head to one side, as though trying to question it. She walked up to the entrance and touched it.

"Are you sure you really want to do this, Chihiro?" she asked herself. The last time she had walked through that tunnel, she had trapped herself in a Spirit World for days on end. The terrifying situations would stick inside her mind forever.

Then, she smiled, "I don't have a home to go back to anyway." She took a deep breath and took her first step into the darkness...

"_It's alright, Chihiro... You're almost there," _It was completely pitch black, and Chihiro could not see anything. She kept a hand on the tunnel wall to guide herself towards the exit. After a few minutes of careful treading, Chihiro finally saw light beaming into her eye. Excited, she broke into a run. "The train station!" she exclaimed happily as she heard the sounds of a train zooming somewhere inside the walls. Chihiro picked up her pace and made her way out of the shelter that had been enclosing her. She smiled broadly as tears welled in her eyes. "I'm back," she said as she looked around. Surrounding her were the grassy plains that her mother had once said were beautiful. She couldn't hide her excitement any longer- she began to sprint her way across the piles of rocks that disguised a large river, up the stone steps and into an alley of restaurants. The scenery was all too familiar- Chihiro could finally confirm that the Spirit World was real and not just a figment of her imagination. She let her legs take her to her destination- only they knew where to go.

Finally, Chihiro stopped by the red clock tower that marked the entrance to the bathhouse. "I made it!" she panted delightfully. She turned her head sideways to look at the bridge... _Is that- Haku? _


	4. Forgotten Love

Chihiro couldn't be sure as the boy had her back facing her. But, it was much too obvious to her that the ebony hair and uniform couldn't belong to anyone else. Haku was leaning on the rail of the bridge, obviously having a quiet time while looking at the scenery. He had definitely grown a lot since the last time she had seen him. He was perhaps a head taller than Chihiro, and definitely more masculine. Chihiro was about to call out to him, but then...

"Haku..." came a voice. Chihiro looked harder and gasped. A girl who appeared to be about the same age as her was slowly approaching Haku. The evening sunset was reflecting off her golden hair, and it seemed to make her ocean blue eyes twinkle even more than it did before. The girl smiled and took Haku's hand, and he followed by taking her other hand. "Tell me something I want to hear," she smiled.

"Misako, you ask me to say it everyday," came Haku's deep voice, "Isn't it enough?" he teased.

"No..." she giggled, "Tell me again."

"I love you..." Then, he leaned closer to the girl, and kissed her gently on the lips. Chihiro watched with fury and jealousy. _'How could he-? That cheating liar!'_

"Well, promise you'll see me again my ass, Haku!" Chihiro began to stomp towards him.

"What?" Haku and Misako said together.

"You, girl, you get your filthy hands off MY Haku!" Chihiro yelled angrily at Misako. However, Misako didn't react or even begin to argue with Chihiro. Instead, she stared blankly at the flames in Chihiro's eyes.

"I think she's a human," she whispered quietly to Haku. He nodded in agreement.

"You people don't give me this 'human' talk again! I saved your backsides once upon a time, all of your backsides! And this is how to return my favour?"

"You should get her out of here," Misako continued, completely ignoring Chihiro's angry statements, "It's getting dark."

"Yes I know. Misako, you have to get back into the bathhouse. Don't come back outside- I'll see you when I get back." Haku instructed Misako. She nodded, slipped her hands away from Haku and began to run into the bathhouse. Haku watched until he knew she was safe, and then turned to face Chihiro.

"You're not supposed to be here. Leave now! You've got to get across the river before it gets completely dark! I'll hold them off!"

"NO!" Chihiro yelled stubbornly, "NO! I'm not leaving here until you tell me what's going on with you and that Misako girl!" Haku turned around, ceasing to blow petals out of his hands.

"Look, Misako is my partner and I love her very much so. Frankly, this is none of your business," Haku said angrily, "Now go!"

Chihiro let out a frustrated yell and began to cry. Haku didn't stop for a second. He immediately grabbed Chihiro's wrist and ran- pulling her as he went. Chihiro couldn't help the tears that were flying behind her as she ran, and as much as she hated to admit it, she wished that Haku would never let go. Finally, the blur of the sidelines ceased, and Chihiro found herself standing next to Haku, in front of a very large river.

"Damn it Chihiro!" he cursed, "Now look what you've done! You'll never be able to get back home now!"

"You just called me Chihiro! You can't have forgotten me! I haven't even told you my name yet!" Chihiro argued.

"It's in my powers," Haku defended, although he knew it was completely untrue.

"Why now, Haku? Why are you so unkind now? Last time I came here you were so nice to me! You helped me get back onto my feet! Now you're treating me like this!" she spat.

"Listen to me carefully, girl," Haku spoke as he pulled Chihiro's wrist, making her come closer, "There was no last time. You've got it all wrong. I'll give you only one warning- stay AWAY from my Misako." At these words, Chihiro began to fade.

"Well, I'll give you only three words- I HATE YOU!" she yelled, pulling her hand from Haku's.

She ran up the hill, struggling towards the stone wall that she had sat by before. Desperate for air, she collapsed, curled up into a ball and began to cry. _'Why is Haku acting like this? He can't have... forgotten me?" _Chihiro thought furiously. She cried harder into the palm of her hands. Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands touch her shoulders lightly. Startled, she looked up.

"Oh... It's just YOU. Leave me alone," she said to Haku, burying her head into her hands.

"Look, I'm sorry I was horrible to you before. But let me help you," said Haku gently.

"I don't need your help, I'm fine," Chihiro replied.

"I hope you do realize that you're fading. You've got to eat this or you'll completely disappear from existence."

"Then let me disappear... There's no point existing anymore. I mean, you've already forgotten me," she added sadly.

"Then eat this for me, for the sake of my memory," Haku urged. Although Chihiro had no idea about what that had meant, she took the little red berry from his hand and stood up.

"Don't follow me," she said sternly, "I can take care of myself."


	5. Reunions

_Hey! Thanks to all reviewers :) You guys have given me inspiration to write more... So I hope I've written enough this time! I also want to let you know that I won't be able to update a lot because I've got loads of schoolwork and my Mum doesn't like me spending all my time in front of the computer " So anyhowz... Please enjoy :D_

The stench of the pig pen was making her sick. Chihiro was amazed that she had not smelt it the last time she had run through this place. But last time, Haku had held her hand whilst leading her towards the bathhouse at an incredible speed. _Held her hand... _Was it just a silly 10-year-old thing? When you were kids, holding hands meant nothing more than signs of friendship. Then you pass adolescence and realize that it means something more. Chihiro finally caught sight of the door and ran towards it. She followed the path that led to the gate in front of the bridge. She peered over the gate and glimpsed the spirits- they were all up and running. Chihiro paused for a moment- _last time, last time,_ what had happened? _Haku..._ The last time, Haku had placed a spell on her that resulted in her being invisible to the spirits. Even though she had broken it, she still had had a good start at getting away. At that present moment, Haku was absent and Chihiro was hiding behind a gate, knowing that the spirits could sight her at any moment. She knew her only choice was to run for it- it was no use hiding behind the gate all night long- she couldn't go back to the real world tonight. "Ok Chihiro," she breathed quietly to herself, "On the count of three- one, two, three!" Chihiro burst open the gates and ran as fast as her legs would carry her. To the spirits, the human stench overpowered and they all turned their heads to look at Chihiro. She made a valiant effort to ignore them all and continue running. _'Keep going," _she told herself, _'don't give up now,' _She was almost at the small entrance at the side of the bathhouse-

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" yelled one of the Aogaeru, "GET HER!" The rest of the Aogaeru dropped their welcome ornaments and began to chase after Chihiro. By this time, Chihiro had already reached the small gate. She crawled quickly through it and slammed it shut behind her. She then stood up and continued to run. By the time she had opened the second gate to the wooden stairway, the Aogaeru had climbed through the small gate. She let out an exasperated yell and quickly closed the gate behind her.

"GO!" she urged herself. She took a deep breath and began to run down the wooden stairway- the same one that she had fallen on and screamed her way down five years ago. Chihiro kept running- the rhythm of her feet were pattering down each step as she went. She then heard the second gate open. Not daring to look back (let alone look down), she urged her feet to go faster.

"Alright! Now you go down and chase her!" she heard one of them say.

"Err... I'm definitely not going down there..."

"Fine! Then you go!"

"Count me out boss." Chihiro smiled- she was going to make it!

She allowed her legs to carry her all the way to the bottom of the stairs. Then the familiarity hit her- it was Kamajii's boiler room! Excited, she opened the green door and stepped inside. She walked past all the boilers that emitted steam and peered around the corner. It was Kamajii! He was working hard as usual- his many arms were flinging in all sorts of directions. She couldn't contain her excitement any longer-

"Kamajii!" she exclaimed as she ran towards him. Kamajii turned around.

"Sen?" he queried, tilting his dark glasses down to see her.

"Kamajii!" Chihiro ran and hugged the old man.

"It is you, Sen!" Kamajii exclaimed, enclosing all his limbs around her. "My, my, you certainly have grown!"

"Thanks Kamajii, so have you!" she joked.

Kamajii laughed, "Yes, I'm getting older aren't I?" Chihiro then felt something tickle her feet.

"_Susuwatari!"_ she exclaimed, looking down at the little black coal. They all smiled and squeaked at her in reply.

"Yes, they have certainly been missing you," said Kamajii kindly, "It seems that they want to take your shoes and socks again."

"Oh," said Chihiro. She carefully took off her shoes and put her socks inside. The Susuwatari gladly carried them into their homes- the cracks inside the walls. Suddenly, the door opened.

"Hey! Dinner time! Kamajii," a female said while closing the door, "You'll never believe this, but another human's broken into the bathhouse! God, I miss that. It only seems like yesterday Sen-"She dropped the basket of Kompeitou (the star-shaped candy) as she stared in amusement.

"SEN?" she exclaimed. The Susuwatari were crowding around her feet- exactly where she had dropped the Kompeitou.

"Yes Rin! It's me!" Chihiro exclaimed. She ran over to Rin and embraced her as though embracing a long lost sister she had almost forgotten.

"Welcome back, kiddo," Rin said, "Kiddo? Nah... you've grown!" Chihiro grinned.

"So... what brings you back here?" Chihiro looked down sadly. Slowly, she opened her mouth and told them as much as she dared to.

"That's what happened?!" Rin yelled angrily, "Boy, if one day I ever get my hands on that father of yours..." she clenched her fists. Kamajii shot her a warning look.

"It's ok, Sen. You're safe here with us. We won't let anyone hurt you," Kamajii comforted. Chihiro allowed him to hold her tightly while she trembled with fear. For her, Kamajii was a second grandfather she had never known before she had turned ten.

"That's not all..." she continued, "Everything's just going wrong..."

"What? Who else has been messing with my poor Sen?" Rin asked.

"It's Haku..." Chihiro closed her eyes, trying to hide her tears.

"What happened?"

"I had a brush with him just then... I... He... Well... I think he's forgotten me." Rin gasped.

"How could that be possible? After you left, he came back with Kamajii and me, and you know what? He couldn't stop talking about you! It was just Chihiro this, Chihiro that- couldn't keep his mouth shut for five seconds straight!" Rin argued, "And then... Yubaaba called for him." At that precise moment, the wooden door opened again.

Chihiro strained her eyes and realized- "Mum?"

The brown-haired woman turned around, "Chihiro?" Chihiro wriggled out of Kamajii's grasp and headed towards the woman she had known all too well.

"Mum!" she cried, holding onto her as though she was merely three years old again.

"Chihiro... You've grown so much! Oh my, I'm so happy to see you again!" Yuuko exclaimed. Chihiro said nothing in response, but simply continued to cry the rivers of tears that were flowing down her face. "Sweetie... I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. I've seen everything that your father has done to you. I wish I could've been there to stop him... but..."

"It's ok, Mum. It's not your fault... What are you doing here anyway?" Chihiro asked, looking down at her mother's bathhouse uniform, "Aren't you supposed to be... well?"

"I was called to the bridge after I died. I saw Yubaaba... She was waiting for me. The problem was- she wouldn't let me move on."

"What? Why?" Chihiro asked.

"She told me your story. Your story on how you accidentally came to the Spirit World because of your father and me. As you know, she was extremely angry with you. Because of that, I was refused entry to the after world seeing as I was your mother. She wouldn't give me my bowl of soup." **A/N: See footnote**

"Mum! How could she do that to you? That's so horrible..."

"That's why I've been working here ever since."

"Don't worry, Mum. I'll get you out of here, I promise." Chihiro said fiercely. But then it sparked- _promise..._ She felt tears coming to her eyes again...

"I didn't come here expecting to find you Chihiro. I actually came here because Yubaaba asked me to fetch the "human" who had broken into the bathhouse. I'm really sorry, Chihiro, but I have to take you to her." Yuuko said wistfully.

"It's ok, Mum. I'll come quietly," Chihiro smiled. She took her mother's hand and they both stepped out of the boiler room. They had a lot of floors to climb.

_Footnote: Spirited Away was also based around the religious culture of Buddhism(?). Apparently, when a Buddhist dies, they are sent to the bridge, which symbolizes the gateway between life and death. A soup lady (Yubaaba) gives them a bowl of soup, which if they drink, will erase all memories of their past life and prepare them for the after world. Well, that's what my Mum told me- Thanks Mum! _


	6. Twin Secrets

Chihiro stared wildly at the oak door that separated Yubaaba's office from the others. The dark and misty atmosphere sent a shiver up her spine. If she had the option to go somewhere else, she'd be bolting there without hesitation.

"This is where I leave you," came her mother's voice from beside her, "Just go and knock on the door, Yubaaba with will be right with you." Chihiro nodded quickly, "And Chihiro..." she added, "Don't forget your manners please."

Chihiro grinned, "Don't worry, Mum. I won't."

"Good," Yuuko smiled, stepping into the elevator, "Oh, and just in case I don't get to see you after... Chihiro, honey, I want you to know that I love you and I always will, ok?"

"I know, Mum. I love you too," Chihiro replied, "You will see me again, I promise you." But the elevator door had already closed. Chihiro took a deep breath, gathered up all her courage and walked towards the oak door. She grasped the golden knocker and banged it against the door several times.

"I see you remembered your manners this time." Chihiro jumped. Of course! There was the golden replica of Yubaaba on the door knocker that five years ago had scolded Chihiro for having no manners. "Well, come in." The double doors opened to reveal a long corridor, with many other corridors leading from it. The walls were decorated with all sorts of gold and jewels, which sparkled into Chihiro's eyes. She clenched her fists and walked, trying to remember exactly which corridor it was that lead to Yubaaba's office.

"You're too slow, you stupid girl," came Yubaaba's cackling voice. Chihiro felt a force grab her by the front of her shirt. She gasped as it pulled her along... sixth, seventh, eighth corridor to the right... TURN-

"Ah-" Chihiro gasped as she fell to the floor. Regaining her composure, she stood up slowly and faced-

"Yubaaba," she said fiercely.

"You immoral girl! I knew you'd be back! You and your stubborn love for Haku!" Yubaaba laughed.

"What did you do to my Haku? You evil witch!" Chihiro yelled stubbornly.

"There's no need for you to know. After all, when you become a pig you'll forget everything anyway." Chihiro was taken aback. "Ha... That fear is showing on your face again- the same one you showed me five years ago." Yubaaba inhaled smoke from her cigar luxuriously, then turned back to Chihiro, "Well, human, I'm not going to let you get away this time. This time, I'm not even going to hesitate to turn you into a pig. You deserve it, you stupid girl! You came at age ten and you turned my bathhouse into a living pigsty! And do you even stay to help clean it up? No! I let you get off easy... Well, it won't happen this time!" Chihiro braced herself for the attack. How stupid could she be? _'It was all a mistake to come here in the first place. I'll wake up and I'll be in my bed, same as usual.'_ But the nightmare didn't stop-

"Sen! Sen!" Chihiro looked up at the familiarity of the voice.

"Bou?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, Sen! It's me! You're back, Sen! Now we can go on some more adventures!" The gigantic child ran towards Chihiro, picked her up and hugged her tightly, as if she was a teddy bear that the child had lost but just found. But Chihiro knew this child perhaps more than his mother. He was Bou- the giant son of Yubaaba, whom Zeniiba (her twin sister) had turned into a fat mouse whilst Chihiro had tried to save Haku five years ago.

"Bou!" Chihiro exclaimed, "My, you've grown!" Although Bou had been bigger than her at age one, she couldn't say she had recognized him immediately. Now six years of age, Bou had grown dark, black hair, cut in a mushroom style. Little tufts of it hung out at the top of his head.

"So Sen... Where are we off to now? Can we go to Zeniiba's house again?" Bou asked excitedly, grinning widely as he spoke.

"BOU! Get out of the way! Now is NOT playtime!" Yubaaba yelled furiously at him.

"What are you doing, Mama?" Bou gasped. He had seen that look on his mother's face before. She always had it when she was just about to... "MAMA! NO!" he yelled desperately, "You can't do that to Sen! That's horrible!"

"Nonsense, my boy. Now get out of the way, otherwise you'll face the consequences!"

"No Mama. If you hurt Sen, I won't love you any more," Bou said sternly. Yubaaba's face dropped. If it was one thing she couldn't bear to lose, it was her son's love.

"Fine," she muttered, "You got lucky this time, human. You won't be the next time we come to face." Yubaaba clicked her fingers, and vanished.

Bou let out a huge sigh, "If it's one thing my Mum doesn't have control over, it's her temper." Chihiro giggled silently. "So where are you going to go now Sen? If you're not going anywhere, you can sleep in my room tonight."

"No, thanks Bou. There's someone I really need to see." Chihiro replied.

"Really? Who? Take me with you!" Bou exclaimed.

"No Bou. You'll have to stay here. It's far too dangerous for you to be going out."

"Aww... but Sen! Please! I promise I'll be good! I mean, you were the one who told me that being cooped up inside all the time makes me sick!"

"Bou, I know how much you want to go, but it's for the best if you stay here, ok? Don't worry, I'll come back soon and we can play together," Chihiro smiled. Bou returned the smile- he liked that idea

"Ok. You promise?" he asked.

"Promise. Now go back to your room and get plenty of sleep. And you must listen to your mother, ok?"

"Ok, I will. Bye Sen!"

"Bye..." Chihiro muttered, but Bou was already gone.

Chihiro tried her hardest ignore the oncoming stares that were following her as she travelled. The bathhouse workers covered their noses desperately as she walked past, occasionally gasping and whispering to each other. Chihiro kept walking, down a level, down another... until she reached the basement where the food was stored. She opened the door that led to the outside and-

"Thank God," she muttered, "The old wooden raft thing is still here." Chihiro climbed down the steps carefully and helped herself into the raft. She gathered up all her strength and rowed with all her might. The old creaking of the oar couldn't stop her from enjoying the night sky- with all its little stars hanging and twinkling down at her. She smiled to herself. She hadn't seen such a beautiful sky in a long time. But then, the last time, Haku was with her, in his dragon form... They were both soaring through the air, Chihiro's arms around him... Such thoughts brought tears to Chihiro's eyes. '_How could he forget? How?' _As far as Chihiro was concerned, they shared a special relationship that had seemed unbreakable. But now that it had been broken, Chihiro did not know what to do. For all she knew, Haku was the only true friend she had known ever since she had moved houses.

Finally, the raft hit something hard.

"The track!" Chihiro exclaimed. Setting the oar down, she jumped out of the raft and onto the train track. She felt the coldness of the water swift around her feet, and realized that she had forgotten to take her shoes back from the _Susuwatari_. Chihiro shivered; she hadn't noticed that the night air was extremely cool. Wrapping her arms around herself, she ran lightly towards the station.

"What now?" she asked herself, "I don't have a train ticket." Chihiro sighed, and allowed her legs to collapse under her. She turned her head to the side- it WOULD take her while to walk to Zeniiba's house, but... If it could help Haku remember, she would do it. Chihiro smiled, a new determination set on her face.

"Hey Chihiro," came a voice in her ear. Chihiro jumped and stood up, alarmed.

"H-H-Haku!" she exclaimed sharply.

"Going somewhere?" he smiled, absent-mindedly throwing a rock into vast blue sea. Chihiro then snapped out of her semi-consciousness.

"As a matter of fact, I was. I'll be seeing you then," she smirked.

"Chihiro, wait!" Haku yelled after her, "Do you need a ride?" Chihiro froze for a mere second, thinking furiously. _'Hmm... Sure I could do with a ride... Save me a heck of a lot of time too.' _But wait, _"NO! I don't need any help from a jerked face idiot like him!" _Chihiro stuck her nose in the air and continued walking. Haku chased after her. "Look Chihiro, I know you're angry with me because of the way I treated you before... And look, I'm sorry, ok? I guess I was just overreacting at the way... you were overreacting." Chihiro paused and stared into his emerald-green eyes... _If only, if only... I could be something else in those eyes of his... _"But anyway, let's start over, ok? I'm Haku," he smiled, extending his hand to Chihiro's. She hesitated at first, but thinking of the better...

"Chihiro," she said, taking his hand. Haku smiled.

"I was wondering if I could be of any service to you, Miss? I mean, I would like to show you my appreciation in accepting my offer of friendship." _'Friendship only, eh?'_ Chihiro thought. "Perhaps I could give you a ride to your destination?"

"Ok," said Chihiro, no tone in her voice.

"Where to, Miss?" Haku asked.

"Swamp Bottom," Chihiro replied.

"Swamp Bottom it is." Haku held onto her hand, and the next thing she knew, she was riding a white dragon among the clouds.

No words were exchanged between them as they flew. Chihiro had her arms wrapped around the dragon's neck for security. The adrenalin rushing inside her body had stopped after the first few minutes of the flight, and now she was calm- enjoying the scenery around her. It made everything feel perfect- although it was not. Chihiro rested her head on the warmth of Haku's mane. How much she wished that it could be Haku in his normal boy form, how much she wished that it could be like last time- holding hands, flying through the eternity of the sky, like nothing else mattered... A sharp jerk told Chihiro that they were slowly descending. Soon, the ground seemed much closer and the clouds were becoming smaller and smaller...

'_Thump'_ went Haku's feet as they landed gracefully on the lawn.

"Thanks," said Chihiro impatiently, "You can go now." Haku bowed to Chihiro, bent his legs and took off once again. Chihiro stared at him as he flew. She just couldn't tell whether she was happy or angry- or was it possible that she could feel these two emotions at once?

The door to Zeniiba's house creaked open slowly.

"Chihiro?" Chihiro turned around.

"Granny!" she exclaimed, running towards her. She hugged her, and words just couldn't explain how relieved she had felt at that moment. Finally, they let go, and Zeniiba looked up at the sky.

"My, is Haku not joining us today?" she asked.

"Let's not talk about that right now," Chihiro smiled nervously, urging Zeniiba into the house.

"Ok... dear..." she stuttered. "Oh, No Face, would you mind putting the kettle on?" Chihiro turned to look, "No Face! Oh wow, No Face, you're still here! I've missed you!" She stared at the ghastly black figure before her. It wore a mask to cover the fact that he had not a face. No Face nodded, smiling his almost-permanent smile, and then went to make some tea.

"Come here, sweetie," Zeniiba said, "I'm sure we have a lot to catch up on." She pulled up a chair and Chihiro gratefully sat down. Zeniiba then pulled up a chair for herself. "My, my, Chihiro. It has been a long time since I last saw you. You have grown so much!"

"Thanks, Granny. Although I must say, I reckon I've heard that enough times today to last me a lifetime!" Chihiro smiled.

Zeniiba laughed softly, "Yes. I must ask you, what brings you back to the Spirit World?" Chihiro's face fell. Again, she had to endure the pain, telling her story to Zeniiba. She was almost in tears by the time she had finished, but Zeniiba was understanding and comforted her as she talked.

"S-sorry, Granny," Chihiro sniffed, "I c-can't help it."

"That's ok, sweetie," Zeniiba said, handing her more tissues. No Face had returned with cups of tea for all of them, along with cake and biscuits. Chihiro took a sip of the tea, to try and calm her emotions. "Tell me something else, Chihiro." She looked up. "What is this coldness towards Haku about?" Chihiro put down her tea and sighed. She turned her head to the side and stared blankly at the darkness the window was showing, trying hard not to look directly at Zeniiba.

"To be honest with you, I really don't know," Chihiro began, "When I came back to the Spirit World, all I really wanted to do was see him... But then, I saw him with... another girl. When I asked him what the heck he was doing, he didn't know who I was. At first I thought he just couldn't recognize me, but even as I told him the story, he still couldn't recall anything. Then, I suspected Yubaaba. I went up to her office, but she wouldn't tell me what she did. All she wanted to do was turn me into a pig." Chihiro pulled her eyes away from the window and looked at Zeniiba. "Do you, do you reckon that you can tell me what she did to him?" There was an awkward silence, then Zeniiba stood up, her back facing her and No Face. She was engulfed in thought.

"You know what," she said finally, "I reckon she cast a memory charm on him."

"Memory charm?" Chihiro asked, "Is that why Haku doesn't remember me?"

"Yes, I suspect so," Zeniiba replied, "I suspect that Yubaaba erased Haku's memories of you, and the feelings that he had for you in his heart." Chihiro paused for a while.

"Is there a way to... remove the charm?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not. This charm is way too powerful. It just can't be broken, no matter how hard you try."

"But, Granny... You once told me that once you've met someone, you never really forget them," Chihiro said wistfully.

"Yes, and that's very true, Chihiro. You see, he hasn't completely forgotten you. But it'd take a miracle for him to regain his memories since he's under the spell," Zeniiba explained. Chihiro thought about it- of course! Haku had called out her name without her needing to tell him what her name was. But then... It was impossible for him to regain his all of his memories... And he'd never remember Chihiro...

"Wait!" Zeniiba exclaimed suddenly.

"What?"

"There... is a way," she said slowly.

"There is? Tell me!"

"But, it's difficult, very difficult. It involves making a very complicated potion..."

"Granny! Please! I'll help you make it!"

"Not just that, Chihiro. It also involves... a sacrifice."

"What?"

"The person who drinks this potion must sacrifice their own memories in order for the other to regain them." Chihiro looked down. Of course, she should've expected it. Things like this didn't come easy. "Chihiro, it's completely up to you. I can brew the potion for you in a few hours, but this is a life-long decision you'll have to make yourself." Chihiro became lost in thoughts. She would have to lose her memory for Haku, and all out of love. But what would happen then? What if it didn't work, and both of them had their memories lost? But on the brighter side, if it did, Haku would come looking for her... Yes, Haku would come looking for her and help her regain her memory. It was possible. She had nothing to lose.

"Yes, Granny. Please make me the potion," she said sternly. Zeniiba smiled slightly and placed her hand on Chihiro's head. She nodded in the direction of No Face, and they both left to the kitchen. Chihiro crept off her chair and curled up into a tight ball in the corner of the room...

"It's ready, Chihiro, dear," came Zeniiba's voice three hours later. Chihiro looked up, her eyes puffy and sore, and managed to let out a weak smile. She slowly stood up, and gently took the steaming red potion vial from Zeniiba.

"Thanks Granny," she smiled. Taking a deep breath, she held the vial to her lips and swallowed. It must've been the most disgusting thing she had tasted- even more so than the berries that Haku had given her. But her determination to get Haku back overtook her and she courageously gulped down the whole vial. Zeniiba and No Face looked at her worriedly, but she just smiled back. Zeniiba took the vial from her and returned to the kitchen, No Face following.

Within a few minutes, Chihiro was feeling sick. She felt like vomiting, and her head was feeling dizzy.

"I'm just going out for some fresh air!" she yelled. Clutching her stomach, she opened the door and headed out. She ventured as far as she dared, trying to ignore the pounding inside head and stomach... the dizziness of the trees, her surroundings... And before she knew it, the whole world spun in front of her as she was soon engulfed in darkness...


End file.
